Ballantyne Strong Inc. is a provider of digital cinema projection equipment, screens and services as well as specialty lighting equipment. The Company supplies major and independent theater chains, top arenas, theme parks and architectural sites around the world. Ballantyne Strong is a value added reseller of major brands that include BARCO, NEC, Doremi, GDC, USL, Dolby and QSC. Excellent products coupled with Strong Technical Services providing installation, integration, NOC (Network Operation Center) and field service. Ballantyne Strong Inc.is a true turn-key provider for sales and service to cinema chains of all sizes.

Moving Image Technologies manufacturers and markets a full complement of cinema exhibition equipment and services to support the industry’s transition to digital cinema, including: custom engineering, systems design, integration, digital technology solutions for 3D, digital cinema, pre-feature on-screen advertising and components. Moving Image Technologies’ mission is to have the most talented, passionate people in cinema working to provide the best presentation tools for the cinema exhibition industry.

Christie is a leader in visual solutions for world-class organizations, offering diverse applications for business, entertainment, and industry. A leading innovator in film projection since 1929 and a pioneer in projection systems since 1979, Christie has established a global reputation as a total service provider and the world's single source manufacturer of a variety of display technologies and solutions. Christie offers comprehensive solutions for cinema, large audience venues, control rooms, business presentations, training facilities, 3D and Virtual Reality, simulation and education as well as industrial and government environments.

With over 17,000 systems in the market, Sony Digital Cinema 4K technology lets movie goers experience exceptional picture quality from every seat in the cinema – with spectacular detail, contrast and colour on any size of screen. Sony Digital Cinema 4K projection systems give audiences a more immersive, emotionally engaging visual experience you simply can't get at home – in 2D or with a choice of smooth, easy on the eye 3D solutions. Sony 4K offers four times the resolution of an HD TV or previous-generation 2K digital cinema. It’s captured the imagination of audiences and industry alike, winning Hollywood’s commitment as underlined by 4K releases from studios such as Paramount, Warner Brothers, 20th Century Fox, and Sony Pictures. It has also won the support of Hollywood heavyweights like Christopher Nolan (“Dark Knight Rises”, “Inception”), David Fincher (“The Girl with a Dragon Tattoo”) and Harald Zwart (“Karate Kid”), who have all released recent blockbusters in the 4K format. The only manufacturer currently deploying 4K projection systems in volume, Sony serves many of the world’s biggest and most prestigious cinema chains, as well as small independent screens and art house cinemas.

Harman International leverages the combined technical leadership and worldwide distribution networks of JBL Professional and Crown International to provide the most innovative digital audio systems available. JBL Cinema loudspeaker systems are the market leaders from sound stages and post production rooms to theatres worldwide. The new “next generation” ScreenArray® Series feature the latest JBL technical innovations. Crown DSi, Digital Screen Series, amplifiers provide the full range of power, while incorporating all digital processing required for the JBL cinema speakers, creating the perfect integrated digital theatre sound system.

Sonic Equipment Company is a one stop provider for all of your Digital Cinema needs. From site survey to install, our knowledgeable staff is there with you. Our certified and bonded technicians will work you and your staff through the install and training. Be sure to ask us about our Digital Service options. From digital conversions to building new theatres, our company is your best choice. We have been building and renovating theatres for more than 20 years across the Midwest. This experience allows us to be there with you from consultation to your grand opening. Call us today or follow us on the web.

Bardan Cinema has been a leader in cinema equipment sales in Latin America and the Caribbean for over 40 years. With a well-established reputation and broad customer base that spans independent boutique theaters to large multiplexes, Bardan provides total solutions and services ranging from cinema design, equipment sales, installation, monitoring and VPF implementation. In collaboration with D-Cinema NOC, Bardan now offers comprehensive 24/7/365 proactive monitoring and remote support to exhibitors throughout the region.

Meyer Sound makes the finest loudspeakers for
high-performance digital cinema applications, including VIP auditoriums and
screening rooms. Ideally suited for both feature movies as well as
alternative content. Meyer Sound
is devoted to meeting the needs of exhibition, film post-production, music studios and sound reinforcement
professionals with the finest audio systems available.

Today, amongst the handful of companies across the world that are working to fulfil the exacting needs of DCI, there are fewer still that look beyond. Qube Cinema is committed to creating a seamless world of Digital Cinema with products that are innovative, powerful, reliable and cost-effective. Qube Cinema is a company with a passion for cinema and a thorough understanding of film, video, audio and computer technology along with vast experience in the production, post-production and exhibition industries - a unique combination of expertise that has helped in the development of the company's digital cinema technology.

Unique Digital Limited, based in Dublin and London, has developed a suite of leading software solutions for the management and delivery of digital cinema content, including a full featured Theatre Management System (RosettaBridge TMS), content delivery system (Movie Transit), advertising back office system (Advertising Accord), KDM delivery solution (Basekey), and VPF management software (Cinema Accord). Unique Digital Software Limited, based in Manchester, is a subsidiary of Unique Digital Limited and handles mastering and distribution business in the UK and Ireland on behalf of Unique Digital Limited.

As
one of the world’s leading solution providers for digital cinema, media
delivery and display markets, GDC Technology has successfully delivered and
installed digital cinema servers, projection and 3D systems worldwide.
GDC Technology is currently the largest supplier of digital cinema
servers throughout Asia and the second largest provider of digital cinema
servers worldwide, serving its customers through offices in the US, Mexico,
Spain, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, China, India, Peru and Indonesia.

Technicolor Digital Cinema has been a pioneer in the advancement of digital cinema initiatives. By working side-by-side with content providers as a technology enabler and service provider, Technicolor is utilizing its industry knowledge and expertise to develop solutions for technologies and standards to facilitate the global commercialization of digital cinema. With locations worldwide, Technicolor offers the most comprehensive set of digital cinema services including content mastering, satellite & physical distribution, digital key management, and fulfillment services for accessories such as 3D glasses—all supported by a 24/7 multilingual customer call center. Technicolor has mastered and distributed features for every major studio, currently serving cinemas in 35 countries, and operates the largest digital cinema satellite footprint in the industry. Additionally, Technicolor delivers pre-show advertising content via its satellite distribution network to over 6,000 screens weekly.

USL, Inc., a global supplier of quality cinema products, is
celebrating its 30th year of pioneering technical advancements for
the motion picture industry. In 1997, USL received an Academy Technical Achievement Award for its PSA Light meter. Today, USL engages in the research, development and manufacture of cinema audio equipment, cinema visual and audio test equipment, and digital cinema integrated media blocks. USL’s equipment and products are used by major cinema circuits, independent theaters, production companies, and sound
stages. USL’s cinema equipment is sold
and used in every country in the world.

QSC is the cinema leader of complete D-cinema audio technology under one brand. Complete QSC B-chain solutions provide the very best play back for Digital Cinema, for both feature release and alternative content.
QSC system designs offer remote monitor and control of cinema complex sound systems integrated into the D-cinema network infrastructure. With 40 years in the pro audio business QSC provides innovative solutions that integrate, signal processing, amplification and loudspeakers seamlessly to
provide both exhibitors and cinema patrons a true D-cinema experience.

Cinevise was launchedin 2009 to provide the best possible service to our clients by unlocking the full potential of digital cinema through IT Networking. Our vendor-certified expert staff at our Network Operations Center (NOC) draws on over 30 years of experience in both Cinema and Information Technology and is fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese.

USHIO manufactures the highest-quality digital cinema projection bulbs available. USHIO xenon short-arc lamps boast a spectrum that is closer to natural sunlight than that of any other artificial light source. In addition to commercializing products for search and spot lights, which demand precise, powerful white beam lamps, USHIO became the first in the world to develop a xenon short-arc lamp exclusively for large scale, theater-use movie projectors.

Dolby Laboratories develops and delivers products and technologies that make the entertainment experience more realistic and immersive. For four decades Dolby has been at the forefront of defining high-quality audio and surround sound in cinema, broadcast, home audio systems, cars, DVDs, headphones, games, televisions, and personal computers. Based in San Francisco with European headquarters in England, the company has entertainment industry liaison offices in New York and Los Angeles, and licensing liaison offices in London, Shanghai, Beijing, Hong Kong, and Tokyo.

2013 marks the introduction of the S2K models specifically designed for small screens less than 35 feet. The S2K models feature the same performance as the next generation projectors with the Series 2 electronics platform from DLP Cinema. The new S2K projectors will display images in 2K and will feature the leading attributes for which DLP Cinema is known...precise colors, brightness and contrast complaint to the DCI specifications; and proven reliability. In addition, the new S2K models feature High Frame Rate capability. Affordability and reliability for small screens is no longer a vision...it’s a reality from the DLP Cinema licensed partners (Barco, Christie and NEC). The most important benefit to exhibitors and audiences is images in DLP Cinema S2K, 2K and Enhanced 4K are displayed in exact colors. But you don’t have to take our word. The DLP Cinema team receivedthe 2009 Academy® Scientific and Engineering Award for Color Accuracy. For unsurpassed reliability with unmatched brightness and the most options in resolution and pricing, make the right choice – DLP Cinema – the worldwide leader in digital cinema

Ymagis is a leading provider Digital Cinema services in Europe including VPF management, postproduction, DCP & KDM servicing, and digital cinema installation and maintenance. Ymagis has deployed digital systems in cinemas under VPF representing close to 2,800 screens throughout Europe with both exhibition circuits and art house independents cinemas. Since 2014, Ymagis operates, through its subsidiary Smartjog Ymagis Logistics, the largest e-delivery network for cinema content in Europe, using both satellite capacity and ADSL/fiber lines. Ymagis has also become a software house, providing innovative solutions such as a theatre management system and a full electrical automation system.

Cinema Equipment and Supplies offers a full range of state-of-the-art cinema products and services to outfit your theater with the latest and greatest in the most cost-effective manner. From 3D projection systems to 3D sound, TMS solutions to remote monitoring, CES has you covered. As global leaders in the industry, CES has factory-certified technicians that are fluent in English, Spanish, and Portuguese and have installed over 1,000 digital cinema systems in over 17 different countries.

As part of Ymagis Group, dcinex is a leading provider of Digital Cinema services in Europe including VPF management, postproduction, DCP mastering, KDM delivery, digital cinema installation, maintenance and technical support. The Ymagis Group has deployed digital systems in cinemas under VPF representing close to 5,800 screens throughout Europe with both exhibition circuits and art house independent cinemas. Since 2014, the Ymagis Group operates, through its subsidiary Smartjog Ymagis Logistics, the largest e-delivery network for cinema content in Europe, using both, satellite capacity and ADSL/fibre lines, as well as a number of HDD’s duplication hubs. The Ymagis Group has also become a software house, providing innovative solutions such as a theatre management system (TMS) and a full electrical automation system.

Dolby Laboratories (San Francisco CA) acquired SLS Audio (Ozark MO) on October 14, 2014. Terms were not made available. According to a member of Dolby’s public relations team, “The deal supports Dolby’s efforts to accelerate the adoption of Dolby Atmos in cinema. Together, we’ll be able to develop speaker technologies that deliver better performance at a lower cost for a wide range of theater sizes, configurations and types.”

After spending millions to convert their cinemas to digital at Hollywood's behest, theaters are being asked to roll back the clock — that is, if they want early access to Christopher Nolan's Interstellar, starring Matthew McConaughey, Anne Hathaway and Jessica Chastain.

Privately-held Chinese film company Huayi Brothers Media Co. has raised its equity holdings in GDC Technology, one of the world’s top digital cinema tech suppliers, to give it a controlling 79 percent stake.

The recent introduction at CinemaCon 2014 of the first commercially available laser-illuminated projectors puts the cinema industry in the forefront of what can be considered its fourth generation in illumination technology. The type of Illumination—the light behind the picture—is fundamental to cinema, and changing it has implications that extend across much of the industry.

When considering a new digital cinema projector, image quality, reliability, uptime and Total Cost of Ownership (TCO) would seem to be the most obvious criteria. And with good reason. After all, stunning your audience with a crisp and bright picture at every show, while not having to charge an arm and a leg are of vital importance in cinema. But how can you recognize products that rank high on all these criteria? And what other parameters are relevant for your theater?

The introduction of digital projection in cinema theatres has spurred a
revival in 3D movies. The first was ‘Chicken Little’ in 2005, and now –
according to box office returns – they’re here to stay. The image quality
provided by digital cinema systems provides the immersive 3D
experience that moviegoers have been missing for decades. But in
contrast to this revolution of the visual experience, cinema audio has
been evolving very slowly. In fact, other than adding a few more
speakers to surround the audience with sound, the past 20 years have
brought forth no significant innovations that have been able to make the
aural experience as life-like and immersive as 3D imagery 5 until now.

The International Union of Cinemas (UNIC), representing cinema exhibitors and their national trade associations across 29 European territories, today released an update on box office revenues, cinema admissions and other sector indicators for 2013. While data for a number of countries is based on estimates, the overview presents a first assessment of the development of the sector over the last year (2012–2013). Final data on the performance of each territory will be released in Spring 2014.

Dallas-based Texas Instruments Inc. developed DLP technology 25 years ago for movie projectors, but with more than half of that global market converted, TI has been looking at new uses that were once seen only in sci-fi movies.

After a relatively quiet 20 years, cinema sound has rejoined the list of important issues that today’s exhibitors need to consider. While the industry as a whole has been occupied with the conversion to digital projection, cinema sound has remained relatively calm, with occasional and incremental changes in the established soundtrack formats.

Dolby Laboratories has acquired rival digital cinema sound technology company IMM Sound, a privately owned Barcelona-based business, in a move that Dolby believes will help to speed adoption of its new immersive Atmos sound format. The financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Twentieth Century Fox International says it will stop shipping film prints to theaters in Hong Kong and Macau at the end of 2011. Starting next year, all Fox movies will be provided exclusively in digital cinema versions.

Amid a rising chorus of complaints about 3D projection, the National Association of Theater Owners California/Nevada turned to Dolby Laboratories last week for a special presentation about how best to project 3D movies.

Exhibitors and their audiences around the world quickly associate the name Dolby with great cinema sound. What most don’t realize is Dolby Laboratories’ pivotal role in raising the quality of cinema presentations for over four decades and how Dolby continues to advance the entertainment experience with innovations not only in sound but picture

Last June, Dolby unleashed Surround 7.1 in conjunction with Best Picture nominee Toy Story 3. For the first time, it enabled viewers of 3-D movies to feel like they were inside of the action and inside of the sound.

The film-processing giant said it would shutter the plant because of the rapid acceleration of digital cinema, which has lessened demand for film prints. Operations will be transferred to a Technicolor facility in Mirabel, Canada, outside of Montreal, although Technicolor will still provide some "front-end" services in Los Angeles, such as processing dailies.

It happened; Oversold is a bad thing on airplanes, but a good thing for RealD; Reuters reports that RealD's IPO raised 33% more than expected - 12.5 million shares are sold vs 10.75 expected, at $16 per share vs $13-$15/share range expected.

Laser Light Engines, a Salem, N.H., start-up, believes it has the solution: using lasers as the projector’s light source, instead of the standard xenon light bulb. And laser-lit projectors would have other benefits, aside from making 3-D movies look more brilliant.

One of Europe's major exhibitors, UGC, has announced a pact with Paris-based digital cinema provider Ymagis for digital conversion of all its 605 screens: 373 in France, 88 in Spain, 80 in Belgium, 64 in Italy.

Lifting a roadblock limiting the availability of 3-D movies at the local multiplex, banking giant JP Morgan Chase & Co. has raised nearly $700 million on behalf of a group of the country's largest theater operators, a move many in Hollywood hope will win over a new generation of filmgoers who enjoy an increasing array of options for entertainment.

Said CEO of Scrabble Entertainment — sole digital deployment agency for Avatar in India — Ranjit Thakur: ‘‘We have been giving training to the staff manning projectors for 3D screenings. With digital equipment being used, manpower shift is an integral requirement. In many cinema halls there are IT heads in the projection booths now. However, the system is new and it will take time getting used to it. Another problem is that people come with expectations of images popping in front of their eyes.

An Indian company with non-exclusive right to deploy a projections system based on 2K DCI (Digital Cinema Initiative) of leading Hollywood studios has already embarked on a mission to convert about 1000 screens in the next three years in leading multiplexes.

While the blue-skinned Na’vi are shooting arrows out of the screen toward the audience in the 3-D movie “Avatar,” another battle is being fought in the theater — over the goofy-looking glasses that moviegoers must wear to see the three-dimensional effects.

James Cameron turned down a chance to make “Avatar” for Twentieth Century Fox more than a decade ago to wait until technology caught up with his imagination. Audiences will decide this weekend whether the 3-D science- fiction adventure was worth the delay and the estimated $380 million that News Corp.’s Fox and partners Dune Entertainment and Ingenious Film Partners spent to make and market the movie.

Kodak will cease manufacture of all hardware within its Digital Cinema System and will instead focus on licensing the technology to other companies. Kodak cites an ever-increasing level of technical requirements and costs in digital exhibition for their decision to pull out.

Following the lead of the U.S. and European markets, in 2009 digital conversions in much of Asia continue to inch forward, propelled largely on a screen-by-screen basis as justified for specific 3D titles. Broad-based 2D conversions are being held back by their expense, coupled with the weak economy. The exception is China, where the government-supported conversion program continues. In addition, India, Korea and Japan have active conversion programs in progress or being planned.

Technicolor's 3D-on-film solution is finding some traction in the marketplace. The lab and post-production giant has announced support for Technicolor 3D from DreamWorks Animation, Lionsgate, Paramount, Overture, Universal Studios, Warner Bros., and the Weinstein Co., all of which aim to release pics in the format.

The European Commission is considering imposing a fee on movie distributors to help fund the shift to digital cinema, which is expected to increase the EU's share of the global film market but is deemed to be too expensive for small cinema operators.

Latin America has approximately 6% of the 2K DLP digital screens in the world. Almost 500 of these screens are situated in 19 territories. Nevertheless, just one year ago this region had only 0.7% of the digital screens in the world, with 50 2K digital projectors installed in just seven countries

International Datacasting Corp. (TSX:IDC) has received an order from a new German customer that will be using IDC's satellite network equipment for a digital cinema service rollout in Europe, the company announced Wednesday.

The three biggest U.S. theater chains are seeking to raise as much as $725 million to add digital screens needed for 3-D movies, resuming an effort that stalled last year, two people with knowledge of the plan said.

JP Morgan next week will send out briefing books for a $525 million financing of up to 15,000 d-cinema installations over the next five years at the nation's three biggest movie circuits. The circuits -- Regal, AMC and Cinemark -- will add 3D equipment at many of the sites

But the company also has emerged as a market leader in the processing and distribution of digital cinema. Its new headquarters includes nine digital scanners, which cost more than $1 million apiece. They are part of a "digital intermediate" process that Technicolor developed several years ago that allows film to be color-corrected and edited on digital equipment as opposed to in a film laboratory using chemicals. The process is less expensive and faster.

Norway is in the midst one of the cinema industry’s most interesting and extensively planned digital conversions. Film & Kino, the Norwegian government agency that oversees the country’s film, video and exhibition industries, is preparing to move forward by soliciting bids from digital-cinema providers for a full national rollout for the country’s 400-plus screens. With five Hollywood studio virtual print fee (VPF) deals in hand, and three years of preparation and testing completed, the nationwide changeover is scheduled to begin this fall with completion expected in the 2011 time frame.

The first big commercial movie ever distributed and available in the 4K format was the blockbuster "The Di Vinci Code" which was shown to most audiences basically on film. The reason for this was due to the lack of digital systems which could play back 4K Digital Cinema Packages distributed by the studio. This was a Columbia-Sony Pictures Entertainment release and was a big hit financially for the studio. What it did not do was promote the possible viewer benefit of being available in the 4K file format which would have meant a great deal to the technology savvy movie buff who wants to see the best presentation possible for his precious buck.

3D just keeps getting bigger and better in spite of the early skepticism that the trend wouldn’t last. This year, Hollywood delivered on their promised 3D titles, with many more in the production pipelines. Like color or stereo sound did before, 3D production techniques are maturing and becoming part of the filmmaker’s everyday toolkit. We are seeing 3D being put to use, not as a gimmick, but in ways that add to the overall enjoyment of the movie.

GOING to the movies costs a lot in China because there are so few screens - just around 4,000. But expanding cheap digital cinema will bring down prices. Xu Wei buys a ticket. Over the past four years, the sale of half-price tickets on Tuesdays by all city cinemas has delighted moviegoers.

According to NEVAFILM RSEARCH, by July 1, 2009 there were 127 sites in 54 cities operating 162 DLP Cinema screens; a remarkable increase considering the first digital systems began opening in Russia only two years ago. Even more significant is that almost all digital screens are 3D (only two screens still without this opportunity). It is a turning point for the market of cinema equipment: the amount of new digital screens rises increasingly.

Texas Instruments has announced that its "next generation technology platform" for digital projection will include a 4K option, providing four times as many pixels as standard 2K projectors, and it has already lined up exhibitor Cinemark to buy its 4K tech.

Digital-cinema progress in Europe, much like in the Americas and Asia, has slowed considerably due to the worldwide economic downturn. Although the total is approaching 1,600 digital screens, up from around 1,300 in mid-2008, growth is falling short of previous industry predictions.

Disney motion pictures group president Mark Zoradi emphasized that "we don't want a format war for 3-D for the home" as he called for technical standards to enable the wide adoption of 3-D on Sunday at the National Association of Broadcasters Show.

Sony Corp's Sony Pictures on Thursday became the sixth major studio to support a theater-chain upgrade to digitally convert 20,000 U.S. and Canadian cinema screens, at an estimated cost of more than $1 billion.

With official word Thursday that Sony has inked a virtual-print-fee agreement with the biggest digital-cinema integrator, Warner Bros. becomes the sole holdout in exhibition's second-phase rollout of d-cinema systems.

The 3D animated blockbuster will not be able to open in nearly as many theaters with 3D capacity as hoped, a victim of the recession, which has further delayed theatrical converstion to digital projection.

E-City Ventures promoted E-City Digital Cinemas along with Yash Raj Films identified and took action against Chetna Cinema in Jetpur for allowing illegal camcorder recording of Dostana on its premises.

Disney's "Bolt" will be released this month in China in digital 3-D -- and, surprisingly, local authorities are pulling out all the stops to make it happen. The toon will even be exempt from the 20-film quota that limits the

With the worldwide economy in an apparent tailspin and the mainstream U.S. digital deployment stalled due to lack of capital, digital cinema in the Asia-Pacific region continues to slowly grow country by country, with now over 1,000 systems spread across the region.

As Hollywood studios and national movie chains search for new ways to get consumers into theaters, they’re turning back to 3-D for their future. Studios have announced plans to release a record 25 or more 3-D titles over the next two years, including a remake of the hit “The Nightmare Before Christmas” that premiered Oct. 19.

Here comes the 3D movie rollout like never before. Studios have announced plans to release a record 25 or more 3D titles over the next two years. Movie theaters, meanwhile, have announced plans to install 3D screens in record numbers.

While the studio consortium Digital Cinema Initiatives is moving forward with plans to test d-cinema systems to make sure they are DCI-compliant, projectors using the current version of Texas Instruments' DLP Cinema technology may not measure up to the new standard.

Latin America is slowly waking up to digital cinema. While still far behind the U.S., Europe and Asia, the number of DCI-grade digital systems south of the border has tripled in the past year—from around 15 systems in the fall of 2007 to approximately 50 expected by the end of 2008.

The Wall Street Journal reported Monday that Universal and Disney had reached agreement with Digital Cinema Implementation Partners, the biggest exhib consortium without a studio deal for digital cinemas, on "virtual print fees" and financing for the conversion of thousands of additional screens.

Universal Pictures has agreed to throw its backing behind the rollout of digital cinema equipment in U.S. theaters, according to people familiar with the matter, a move that takes the movie industry a significant step closer toward the long-discussed goal of replacing old-fashioned film reels with digital technology.

A consortium of the biggest US cinema chains is closing in on a $1bn deal that will pave the way for a new generation of money-spinning 3-D movies, after securing provisional backing from three key Hollywood studios.

Addressing the opening of "Journey to the Center of the Earth," which will bow in about 950 3-D digital screens in North America Thursday, Warner Bros. domestic distribution president Dan Fellman said that "3-D is the future, so why is exhibition dragging its feet? I'm pleased 'Journey' will be the biggest digital 3-D release to date. But it is disconcerting that since November, the 3-D screen count has only gone up Is exhibition or distribution to blame for the slow rollout of digital 3-D cinema?

Countering remarks by DreamWorks Animation topper Jeffrey Katzenberg, National Assn. of Theater Owners prexy John Fithian said exhibs aren't to blame for holding up the transition to digital movie screens --some of the major studios are.

DreamWorks Animation SKG (DWA.N: Quote, Profile, Research) Chief Executive Jeffrey Katzenberg on Tuesday said he was disappointed with the pace at which movie theater chains were moving to deploy digital and 3-D technology.

It’s been only two years since the re-launch of commercial 3D exhibition with Disney’s Chicken Little in November 2005 and there are now almost 1,000 cinemas equipped. This rapid growth exceeds all previous attempts at getting 3D into mainstream exhibition, and this means that this time it’s likely here to stay.

On the surface, it's fairly straightforward: European and Asian movie theater owners, like their counterparts in North America, pretty much agree that it's about time to scrap traditional celluloid and switch to digital projectors.

For almost ten years now, I've been writing about innovation in publications like the New York Times, Wired, Variety, Fast Company, the Boston Globe, The Hollywood Reporter, Salon.com, and Newsweek. I'm still doing that - but I'm also working on a book about how new technologies have changed (and are changing) Hollywood.

Digital cinema took another step toward the mainstream Sunday as Digital Cinema Initiatives announced a new version of its d-cinema specifications, its first-ever specs for 3-D and the selection of technology company Cinecert to finish developing test procedures for DCI compliance.

In the session on 'Cinema of the future- India going digital', speakers expounded on the strides made by the Indian film exhibition industry on the digital cinema technology front. Although the technology is still in its nascent stage, it has established a strong foothold in India, speakers noted.

By this spring, approximately 3,000, or three percent, of the world's estimated target screens (100,000-plus) will have been equipped with DCI-specified digital projectors and servers. Of the early adopters, approximately two-thirds are in North America, with the rest spilt between Europe and Asia. Significantly, most of the installation occurred in the past 12 months, making 2006 stand out as the pivotal year in the digital conversion timeframe.

In the past few years, 3-D has proven popular on a limited number of Imax screens, where screenings of pics such as "Superman Returns" and "The Polar Express" regularly have outgrossed their 2-D counterparts. Studios now are betting hundreds of millions of dollars on the expansion of new technology that works on any screen with a digital cinema system.

Computer technology is as inevitable as a camera operator in the movie business these days, but Qube Cinema Inc. is taking things to the next level by giving theaters the option to beam movies onto bigger screens in a digital format. If the trend catches up then film rolls could become passé.

Technicolor's Denise Hsu called on the industry to realize that studios, exhibitors, auds and governments all stand to benefit from move to d-cinema and everyone should be prepared to pay their part. Chong Man-nong of China-Singaporean server manufacturer GDC also reminded execs that nowhere in the world is d-cinema being screen tested for 15 hours a day, 365 days a year.

A super high-definition projector being aggressively marketed by Sony Corp. (6758.T: Quote, Profile, Research) is not yet reliable enough to be installed in movie theaters, said the chief executive of the largest U.S. cinema chain on Wednesday.

The former Hoyts Cinemas executive chairman has been retained by AHL and Atlab Australia to lead its strategy development for the introduction of digital cinema in Australia. The announcement was made today by Mr David Seargeant, Managing Director of Amalgamated Holdings Ltd (AHL), the parent company which includes Greater Union cinemas and Atlab.

On Friday, 1 December 2006, Ster-Kinekor will launch its first Hollywood studio-endorsed digital cinema projector with a screening of the movie Happy Feet, the comedy adventure set in the land of the Emperor Penguins in the heart of Antarctica. The Christie CP 2000x and computer server is to be installed in Ster-Kinekor Classic Sandton.

Emerging Pictures, the digital cinema initiative being forged by Ira Deutchman, Giovanni Cozzi, and Barry Rebo has announced an investment from Participant Productions. As part of the partnership, Emerging will roll-out its Digital Cinema Network in 12 cities this year, offering an array of programming, including independent films and international films and other content, ranging from film festival programming, dramatic performances, and concerts.

New technology proposed for digital cinema systems is being developed by Australian based company Panorama Labs. Already used in the telecoms sector, Magento Photonic technology, based on the optical switching of light in the infra red spectrum, offers a high resolution (4K) and lower power consumption, that can be applied through a range of market verticals including in the home, mobile phones and virtual reality displays.

It was a digital showdown Tuesday at ShowEast as film industry experts gathered to talk about the need for universal new formats and realistic timetables as well as the future of indie exhibitors during a panel titled "Digital Cinema: Where Are We Today and What Direction Are We Going?"

Arqiva has signed a deal with City Screen's Picturehouse cinemas and has now completed installation of a UK-wide private satellite network to screen live entertainment and sports events in both standard and high definition. It kicks of tomorrow with the revived Amnesty International Secret Policeman's Ball, to be screened across all 17 cinemas.

The so-called digital cinema revolution – the inevitable total electronic transition of movie production, distribution, and exhibition from analog celluloid film to digital files -- is being led by Morristown, N.J.-based Access Integrated Technologies, Inc., or AccessIT (AIXD).

The Metropolitan Opera announced today that it would begin broadcasting live performances into movie theaters across the United States, Canada and Britain, rubbing shoulders with professional wrestling and rock concerts.

China will accomplish the strategic objective of transiting the film projection into digital projection in the upcoming 5 to 10 years, revealed by Zhang Hongsen, deputy director general of the State Administration of Radio Film and Television in the Fourth Digital Cinema Forum held in Beijing last week.

Ten years from now, when people sit in theaters and enjoy digital movies that explode with color and clarity, they probably won't think much about the people that helped make digital motion pictures a reality. But they are hard at work as movie-goers take in the last reels of film fantasy.

Digital projection systems are the latest thing. The release copy of the movie is delivered on a hard drive, sporting 100 gigabytes of the latest Hollywood fare, a digitally scanned copy of the master film print.

FirstShowing.net had the opportunity to interview Larry Jacobson, the President of QuVIS’ Entertainment Division and discuss many aspects of digital cinema, theatre design, and the future of theatre in general.

Regal Entertainment Group, AMC Entertainment Inc. and Cinemark USA Inc. may borrow $1 billion to transform 13,000 U.S. theater screens to digital film from reel- to-reel, according to people involved in raising the money.

IN THE headlong rush to digital, cinema has lagged behind, at least until now. But a big push from film studios, distributors and the Film Council finally heralds the death of celluloid on the big screen and its replacement by digital technology.

``We don't want to see any drive-in theaters become victims of the digital transition," says Rick Cohen, owner of the Transit Drive-In in Lockport, N.Y., near Buffalo. ``But because we're not a big segment of the movie exhibition industry, we're not the number one concern of the companies making digital projectors or servers," the computers that store the digital version of a movie.

Ballantyne of Omaha, Inc. (Amex: BTN), a manufacturer of motion picture projection and specialty lighting equipment, today announced that it entered into a letter of intent to acquire the assets of National Cinema Service Corp. (NCSC), a national provider of cinema services including film and digital projector maintenance, repair, equipment installations, site surveys and other theatre services.

I spent last weekend in Las Vegas (where I still am as I type this) in order to attend the two-day Digital Cinema Summit, part of NAB's Multimedia World conference. Digital cinema is a subject that regular readers of Brian's Brain know I've been closely following of late, and I wasn't disappointed by NAB's treatment of the topic.

Boxoffice king James Cameron issued a call to arm theaters with digital cinema and digital 3-D in response to declining cinema receipts and rampant movie piracy during his keynote address Sunday at the National Association of Broadcasters' Digital Cinema Summit.

"There isn't a film that I've got in my queue -- and I'm four deep right now in projects that I've got scripted and want to shoot -- that I wouldn't want to make in 3-D," James CameronJames Cameron says. "I'm betting the frickin' farm on this."

Canada's National Film Board is working with both the government and private sector in Brazil on a series of initiatives, including the advancement of digital cinema, documentary co-productions and the training of promising young filmmakers.

Digital cinema developers descended here last week to convince theater owners that the future of their industry has finally arrived. But, after years of failed promises, newfangled confections like dark-chocolate Raisinets appeared to get a better hearing (two thumbs up.)

At ShoWest's opening ceremony Tuesday, National Association of Theatre Owners president and CEO John Fithian and MPAA chairman and CEO Dan Glickman put a brave face on the challenges facing the exhibition business: the 5.8% decline in 2005 boxoffice receipts, shortened release windows, rampant piracy and consumers distracted by new tech gadgets.

This document represents exhibitor requirements for digital cinema systems that supplement the requirements of other industry organizations. These requirements are intended for use by system providers, product developers, and standards committees and other organizations in standardization and certification efforts.

This information is presented to provide clarity on various issues of digital cinema. We will be adding to and updating this page periodically. If you have questions that you would like to see addressed, please drop us a note using our Contact page.

In a move that constitutes the largest exhibitor commitment yet to digital cinema, Regal Entertainment Group, AMC Entertainment Inc. and Cinemark USA have partnered to work on the development of a digital cinema business plan. National CineMedia, the joint venture owned by the three companies that was founded to create a national digital preshow advertising network, will manage the process under the guidance of NCM chairman and CEO Kurt Hall.

China's digital movie market is going to see a boom as the country's first entirely privately-funded digital cinema chain has been given the go-ahead from the state administrative authority. The chain expects to attract more movie fans back to the cine ma.

In a demonstration that could foretell the future of videoconferencing, scientific visualization and digital cinema deployment, scientists from around the world meeting at iGrid 2005 in San Diego were treated to the world’s first real-time, international transmission of super high-definition (SHD) 4K digital video.

The future of cinema is digital: At the International Broadcast Convention IBC in Amsterdam (September 9 to 13, 2005), the Fraunhofer Digital Cinema Network will be presenting the latest developments in the field of Digital Cinema.

It was big news in July when the six major movie studios said that, after three years, they'd finally agreed on a standard for the digital distribution of movies. After all, this is an industry that moves so glacially that the number of innovations over the last 100 years can be tallied on one hand.

25th May 2005: Only a lucky minority will be able to experience the latest (and final) Star Wars film – Revenge of the Sith – in its true digital glory. The process of upgrading cinema screens to digital has been far slower than George Lucas had hoped when he shot the first of the Star Wars prequels in digital back in 1997.

The Chennai-based Pyramid-Saimira Group (Bharat Digitals Ltd, Chennai), India, has signed an MoU with Delta Electronics Inc., Taipei, Taiwan, for design, development and sourcing of projectors for the digital cinema market in India.

Astoundingly, little-known Arts Alliance Labs, with just six employees in Boston, and a sister company, Arts Alliance Digital Cinema, with 10 employees in London, won the contract in February from the UK Film Council to build the first truly nationwide circuit of digital cinemas, beating out more than a dozen competitors, including Dolby Laboratories.

Marking a significant step forward in the rollout of digital cinema, Walt Disney Studios, Warner Bros. Pictures and Sony Pictures have signed a deal with Thomson's Technicolor Digital Cinema unit, which will facilitate their transition to d-cinema.

A subsidiary of technology and services provider Avica, Digital Cinema Limited (DCL), has announced that they are starting to implement a nationwide digital-cinema network that will ultimately lead to a conversion of all 515 screens in both regions of the Emerald Isle to the digital format. After two years of planning, DCL began installing the first 25 projectors earlier this month and hopes to have all Irish screens operational within a year at a cost of over $53 million.

Welcome to the official site of the Joint Photographic Experts Group, JPEG, and Joint Bi-level Image experts Group, JBIG. As well as our members' site, it offers other useful sources of information about the JPEG and JBIG committees and their standards.

MPEG-4 is an ISO/IEC standard developed by MPEG (Moving Picture Experts Group), the committee that also developed the Emmy Award winning standards known as MPEG-1 and MPEG-2. These standards made interactive video on CD-ROM, DVD and Digital Television possible. MPEG-4 is the result of another international effort involving hundreds of researchers and engineers from all over the world. MPEG-4, with formal as its ISO/IEC designation 'ISO/IEC 14496', was finalized in October 1998 and became an International Standard in the first months of 1999. The fully backward compatible extensions under the title of MPEG-4 Version 2 were frozen at the end of 1999, to acquire the formal International Standard Status early in 2000. Several extensions were added since and work on some specific work-items work is still in progress.

MPEG (pronounced M-peg), which stands for Moving Picture Experts Group, is the name of family of standards used for coding audio-visual information (e.g., movies, video, music) in a digital compressed format.

Terrestrial digital broadcasting, which started in Japan last year, is expanding, and the increasing adoption of digital technology in the movie entertainment industry shows no signs of letting up. The 1999 showing of director George Lucas' "Star Wars: Episode I" using a film-less projector, unlike the conventional method of film projection, was a cinematic landmark. Since then, cinema has been the final frontier for digitization. Tomonori Aoyama, PhD Eng., University of Tokyo, speaks about the possibilities for digital cinema, which is rapidly approaching reality

The seven major studios have agreed to extend the mandate of Digital Cinema Initiatives -- the coalition they established in 2002 to create digital cinema technical specifications and business practices -- for another year, according to DCI sources.

Another speaker, Dr Man-Nang Chong, Chief Executive Officer of GDC Technology brought forth how the new digital technology in Digital Cinema Multiplex was revolutionising the way worldwide audiences enjoy entertainment such as films, concerts and live events.

Sony is taking the lead in the rapidly emerging digital cinema market with the introduction of two new "4K" projectors that offer unprecedented features such as a 4096 x 2160 pixel resolution and a high contrast ratio.

Despite the legacy of false starts, A. Dale "Bud" Mayo, who just purchased the Boeing Digital Cinema unit from Boeing for $2.3 million in cash, stock and notes, expects that many problems will be resolved soon, leading to a sharp increase in digital installations for holiday movies released in November.

As many as eight compression schemes will face screen tests in April as they vie for inclusion in the final U.S. specification for digital cinema. The Digital Cinema Initiative (DCI), an effort of seven top U.S. studios, expects to choose one technology by the end of April.

Marking a significant industry breakthrough, the major studios officially acknowledged for the first time Wednesday a willingness to subsidize, at least in part, the transition to digital cinema through an independent financing entity yet to be created.

Examining topics ranging from the complex issues of format origination and conversion to synthetic imaging, digital intermediate, digital cinema, distribution alternatives and High Definition-3D, the Symposium will offer hands-on opportunities with the latest prototypes of digital and high definition equipment.

Chatterjee explained that digital cinema would reduce shipping delivery and assembly cost, enhance editing quality and introduce integrated billing. According to him, the key benefit would be better distribution, production per print would reduce from 50,000 to 10,000, distribution per screen would lower from $22000 to $450, and piracy would be controlled.

Hollywood has made halting forays into digital cinema - George Lucas says that he'll show the next Star Wars installment, due out next year, only in theaters with digital capability - but the cost of converting theaters to digital and concerns over piracy has the US movie industry moving in slow motion.

"Kismat", on the other hand, was in the news for good reasons. The Bobby Deol-Priyanka Chopra-starrer produced by Dhirajlal Shah, Pravin Shah, Hasmukh Shah and Times Movies and directed by Guddu Dhanoa will make use of e-cinema for distribution.

Satellite delivery of films and digital movie-making have been areas of focus in recent times. GDC Technology Private Limited, a subsidiary of the Hong Kong-based Global Digital Creations Holdings, which had earlier delivered and installed more than 100 electronic cinema theatres in India, has now ventured into satellite delivery.

The annual event will also address contemporary issues in other entertainment sectors. Frames chairman and Indian cinema’s main man Yash Chopra said it would look at the emerging concept of digital cinema.

Indian corporate billionaires have set their sights on acquiring Boeing Digital Cinema. Among those named as bidders for the d-cinema systems are Silicon Valley-based tech whiz Raj Singh and liquor baron Vijay Mallya.

The seismic change that could spell Imax's extinction is digital cinema. In the not too distant future, it should be possible for cinemas to simply download and project films digitally. Celluloid prints will become obsolete, as will Imax's quality advantage.

Among the highlights of the symposium and exhibition was digital cinema. With over 100 theatres installed, and 400 more scheduled to join, digital cinema is one of the fastest growing industry. During the exhibition, Times Cinema showcased their fool-proof technology on piracy proof servers with high luminance for digital theatres

Sony Corporation today announced the development of SXRD (Silicon X-tal*1 Reflective Display), a liquid crystal display device for use in projectors, which achieves a panel contrast of over 3000:1 with high resolution of Full HDTV(1920Hx1080V)jusing a silicon backplane. Its main features are outlined below.